PHILADELPHIA - Jordan Burroughs has been the model of consistency throughout his senior-level wrestling career.
The 33-year-old Winslow Township High School graduate made nine consecutive world or Olympic teams, all at 74 kg. He spent his time training in Lincoln – where he spent five years at the University of Nebraska, winning two NCAA titles, his last coming in Philadelphia, less than an hour from his Sicklerville, N.J. home.
He’s won four world titles, an Olympic gold medal and three world bronzes while leading a renaissance in United States wrestling.
As Burroughs prepares to try to qualify for a 10th world team – and win a sixth world or Olympic gold, which would tie him with John Smith for the most all-time in U.S. freestyle history – he does so after several significant changes.
First, Burroughs moved to Philadelphia to join the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center after losing to Kyle Dake in the Olympic Trials in April – a move planned for a year – and after not representing the U.S. at 74 kg for the first time in a decade.
Because Dake was given the 74 kg spot on the World team after winning a bronze in Tokyo, Burroughs moved up to 79 kg. It might have been a move he would have made eventually as his weight cut had been more challenging in recent years.
The 2021 World Team Trials are this weekend, ironically in Lincoln, where Burroughs will be the No. 1 seed at 79 kg. Dake has won the last two gold medals at the weight internationally.
Going forward, Burroughs thinks Dake will stay at 74 – not wanting to give up the advantage of sitting out to the World Team finals in years after a medal, while Burroughs could stay up at 79 as long as he’s successful in his pursuit of the spot and at the World Championships in Oslo, Norway.
“It’s much nicer, I was at a barbeque the other day and I could eat freely,” said Burroughs. “It’s been hard getting down to 74, it’s been harder. I haven’t won a world championship since they went to same-day weigh-ins, whether that’s the reason I don’t know.
“I’m more sound-minded now. There’s no excuse now. I’m at my natural weight. None of these guys are bigger or stronger. I feel good here, but I’ll have to make my way down to 74 again eventually (for the next Olympics which at the moment doesn’t have a 79 kg weight class).”
Burroughs is also coming off three straight losses for the first time ever at the senior level – two to Dake and one to Italy’s Frank Chamizo in the finals of the Matteo Pellicone. PRTC coach Brandon Slay said he feels Burroughs was staying on his knees and not re-attacking the way he had in the past in the losses.
“We haven’t spent a lot of time taking about (the losing streak), we’re focused on positive things,” said Slay. “But technically he had forced some shots, stayed on his knees and he knows that’s not ideal. He’s explosive, and he needs to come to his feet and run through his opponent. He did that against (PRTC member) Mark Hall the other day in practice, just got up, went forward and ran through him. I’ve just reminded him what he’s great at. We’re learning other things, but we’re trying to build on his scoring opportunities.”
Burroughs admitted his confidence level wasn’t as high as when he had faced Dake in the past – last beating him in the World Team Trials in 2017.
“I have to be the guy that initiates offense and controls the action, I haven’t done a good job of that this year and it cost me,” said Burroughs. “I’m not a chess player. I’m a guy who unloads as often as possible, creates action to give myself opportunities to score. Against Dake, I didn’t feel my best. He scored on my chances. If I make him come to me, it’s a different story. I allowed the magnitude of the moment to build anxiety and create doubt in myself.
“All my losses this year are to world champions, but now I’m in a new weight class, new facility. new perspective, it’s an opportunity, and I’m approaching these trials with clarity and excitement.”
Part of the move to the PRTC was re-uniting with Slay, a coach who was part of the U.S. coaching staff when Burroughs was just becoming established on the senior level. More of it was re-connecting with his family who he saw infrequently when he lived in Nebraska.
“It’s been good, I’ve enjoyed it so far,” said Burroughs. “We see my family a couple times a week coming from a couple times a year. Training has been great. I have a great relationship with Slay. He’s been a guy I’ve been close with since 2012. I know Mark well. (PRTC members) Joey (McKenna), Dave (McFadden), we’ve built a rapport, BJ (Futrell), Coach (Roger) Reina. … It feels like home. There was no adjustment period, I got plugged right into the room and started getting ready for the trials.
“Nebraska will always be home, but as my parents got older, my family started to grow it was important for me to be close to them, but also come back home where the wrestling culture is strong and I have a footprint but also be an active competitor. My friends and family have only gotten to celebrate me from afar. This is the first time I’ve been able to train in the Tri-State area since I’ve established myself as an elite wrestler. It’s special to be back and hopefully continue to develop wrestling in this area. This wasn’t necessarily a wrestling move, but I didn’t lose anything from that standpoint.”
The former New Jersey state champion has been on the verge of tying Smith’s s record since winning at the 2017 world championships. Burroughs suffered two close losses to Russian Zaurbek Sidakov in 2018 and 2019, settling for bronze both times and giving him three world bronze medals in his career.
Burroughs needs just three wins to secure 200 senior-level wins in his career.
“I didn’t know how long I wanted to wrestle. ... If everything had gone according to plan, I had two more Olympic golds, I’d probably be retired,” said Burroughs. “At this point in my career I’m still pursuing goals when I set out to start this journey.”
Burroughs is living in Philadelphia now, but admitted he’s thought of moving back to New Jersey as his children – who joined him at practice Monday – are older.
“Growing wrestling in the area is important, this is where I grew up,” said Burroughs. “I’m committed to the Philly ecosystem, but I envision one day moving to Jersey. My young ones enjoy the sport. They can some day be New Jersey state champions, to see my kids compete at Boardwalk Hall that would be special to me.”
Of all his success, Burroughs’ greatest contribution to United States wrestling has been the path he’s paved for this golden generation as U.S. wrestling wasn’t producing world medals at the level it is now when he arrived on the scene. Prior to the 2016 Olympics, Burroughs thought if he won a second gold medal, the attention might help the sport move into the mainstream and allow more wrestlers to pursue wrestling as a full-time gig.
United States wrestling is unquestionably now one of the best units in the world. It won a team championship in 2017 and is coming off an Olympics where men’s freestyle medaled in five of the six weight classes – including two golds – while women’s freestyle brought home a gold and three other medals.
While Burroughs didn’t win gold in 2016 – the greatest disappointment of his career – the creation of RTCs over the last few years has allowed more wrestlers to pursue wrestling as an occupation.
“I made sure of that,” said Burroughs. “Marketability, branding. building a brand, establishing a following, being diplomatic, being able to interview, I’ve done things that have paved the way for other wrestlers. I stand strongly on that regardless if I’m given credit for it. The influence I’ve had on the wrestling world, I’m the most influential person of this generation if not the history of the sport.”
Added Slay, an Olympic gold medalist in 2000: “These guys now make more money than I did, which was zero. I got free rent and food at the Olympic Training Center. After I won my gold medal, I got $1,000 a month. Now these guys don’t have to coach, they don’t have to go and work at Home Depot on the side. They can wrestle for a living.”
While not competing in the Olympics for the first time in three cycles and not being on a world team for the first time since he started competing, Burroughs did commentary for NBC on the Olympic games. He foresees doing more in the future, though hopefully not in situations where he doesn’t qualify for the team.
“Being a pioneer, sometimes you miss the train,” said Burroughs. “Sometimes the generation after you has success and it won’t be for you. It was hard to not be there and be recognized as the leader of that squad of a renewed era. I’m glad to be able to be the catalyst, but I want to be a part of it and be part of a team that wins another worlds.”
Burroughs has already made an impression on his new training partners and been a mentor for the other PRTC members as well as a walking advertisement for the training center. Slay referred to Burroughs as a player/coach for the wisdom and confidence he’s infused in the other senior-level wrestlers.
New Jersey native Joey McKenna is the No. 2 seed at 65 kg this weekend and said he has already taken a lot from Burroughs’ mindset.
“He’s been at the top of his game for 10 years, and he’s one of the best ever,” said McKenna. “He approaches the sport so differently. To stay at the top, he’s changed his game. It’s something I now think about being in the upper echelon of guys in my weight, to continue to be in that position and make my first world team. I take the things he says and conceptualize them. He told me go out there and give yourself permission to wrestle like a beast, because if we go out with fear and doubt we’ll never unlock our true potential.
“It’s been awesome and great to get beat up on too. It’s funny, the first practice I didn’t score a point on him, it’s been a while since that happened. It was a humbling experience but a good one too, thinking how can I score on this guy? I did it, not too often, but I’ve done it.”
Slay said while Burroughs has brought tremendous exposure to USA wrestling and recently to the PRTC, he doesn’t want him burdened with being the face of the sport. He just wants Burroughs to focus on improving as a wrestler and the rest will take of itself.
Now Burroughs is looking to add to his legacy – tie Smith, win another worlds at another weight, bring some attention to his new home and training center and enjoy seeing the fruits of his labor as the team around him wins a team championship.
It starts this weekend back in Lincoln.
“I’ve got to tie (Smith) at least, golly, I’ve been so close, ‘18 and ‘19 I should have been a world champion,” admitted Burroughs. “That’s the nature of the game. If I walk away with five, so be it. Only being a single-time state champ from a modest city like Sicklerville, N.J. … I beat the odds and I’ve done an extraordinary job, but as a competitor to be so close and on the brink for so long, it’s just eluded me in the biggest moments.
“I could have gone out undefeated (early in his career) with a bunch of championships and gone and done something else, but I love wrestling. I love the challenge it presents and I’m going to keep doing it as long as I’m physically capable. I’m still searching for that perfect performance, I have to put it together. But It’s still in there.
“Not a lot of guys have won them 10 years apart so.of all the championships I’ve won, if I won the next one it would unquestionably be the best one because of all I’ve been through.”
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